diff --git a/daemon/worker.c b/daemon/worker.c
index 8ae05eb67..33289ebb9 100644
--- a/daemon/worker.c
+++ b/daemon/worker.c
@@ -2160,7 +2160,10 @@ worker_init(struct worker* worker, struct config_file *cfg,
 	if(cfg->dnstap) {
 		log_assert(worker->daemon->dtenv != NULL);
 		memcpy(&worker->dtenv, worker->daemon->dtenv, sizeof(struct dt_env));
-		if(!dt_init(&worker->dtenv, worker->base))
+		struct timeval tv;
+		tv.tv_sec = (time_t)(cfg->dnstap_wakeup_delay / 1000);
+		tv.tv_usec = (time_t)((cfg->dnstap_wakeup_delay % 1000) * 1000);
+		if(!dt_init(&worker->dtenv, worker->base, &tv))
 			fatal_exit("dt_init failed");
 	}
 #endif
diff --git a/dnstap/dnstap.c b/dnstap/dnstap.c
index d15eb9b00..efe7379a1 100644
--- a/dnstap/dnstap.c
+++ b/dnstap/dnstap.c
@@ -244,9 +244,10 @@ dt_apply_cfg(struct dt_env *env, struct config_file *cfg)
 }
 
 int
-dt_init(struct dt_env *env, struct comm_base* base)
+dt_init(struct dt_env *env, struct comm_base* base,
+		struct timeval* wakeup_delay)
 {
-	env->msgqueue = dt_msg_queue_create(base);
+	env->msgqueue = dt_msg_queue_create(base, wakeup_delay);
 	if(!env->msgqueue) {
 		log_err("malloc failure");
 		return 0;
diff --git a/dnstap/dnstap.h b/dnstap/dnstap.h
index 169bdc2c6..ee7615e68 100644
--- a/dnstap/dnstap.h
+++ b/dnstap/dnstap.h
@@ -105,7 +105,8 @@ dt_apply_cfg(struct dt_env *env, struct config_file *cfg);
  * @return: true on success, false on failure.
  */
 int
-dt_init(struct dt_env *env, struct comm_base* base);
+dt_init(struct dt_env *env, struct comm_base* base,
+		struct timeval* wakeup_delay);
 
 /**
  * Deletes the per-worker state created by dt_init
diff --git a/dnstap/dtstream.c b/dnstap/dtstream.c
index 69c951276..bfb62fa4d 100644
--- a/dnstap/dtstream.c
+++ b/dnstap/dtstream.c
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ static int dtio_enable_brief_write(struct dt_io_thread* dtio);
 #endif
 
 struct dt_msg_queue*
-dt_msg_queue_create(struct comm_base* base)
+dt_msg_queue_create(struct comm_base* base, struct timeval* wakeup_delay)
 {
 	struct dt_msg_queue* mq = calloc(1, sizeof(*mq));
 	if(!mq) return NULL;
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ dt_msg_queue_create(struct comm_base* base)
 		about 1 M should contain 64K messages with some overhead,
 		or a whole bunch smaller ones */
 	mq->wakeup_timer = comm_timer_create(base, mq_wakeup_cb, mq);
+	mq->wakeup_delay = *wakeup_delay;
 	if(!mq->wakeup_timer) {
 		free(mq);
 		return NULL;
@@ -219,8 +220,7 @@ dt_msg_queue_start_timer(struct dt_msg_queue* mq, int wakeupnow)
 
 	/* start the timer, in mq, in the event base of our worker */
 	if(!wakeupnow) {
-		tv.tv_sec = 1;
-		tv.tv_usec = 0;
+		tv = mq->wakeup_delay;
 	}
 	comm_timer_set(mq->wakeup_timer, &tv);
 	lock_basic_unlock(&mq->dtio->wakeup_timer_lock);
diff --git a/dnstap/dtstream.h b/dnstap/dtstream.h
index f87d6dc8d..c2b544ee2 100644
--- a/dnstap/dtstream.h
+++ b/dnstap/dtstream.h
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@ struct dt_msg_queue {
 	struct dt_io_thread* dtio;
 	/** the wakeup timer for dtio, on worker event base */
 	struct comm_timer* wakeup_timer;
+	/** the wakeup delay to use when waking up the worker */
+	struct timeval wakeup_delay;
 };
 
 /**
@@ -245,7 +247,8 @@ struct dt_io_list_item {
  * @param base: event base for wakeup timer.
  * @return NULL on malloc failure or a new queue (not locked).
  */
-struct dt_msg_queue* dt_msg_queue_create(struct comm_base* base);
+struct dt_msg_queue* dt_msg_queue_create(struct comm_base* base,
+		struct timeval* wakeup_delay);
 
 /**
  * Delete a worker message queue.  It has to be unlinked from access,
diff --git a/doc/example.conf.in b/doc/example.conf.in
index 6bf1c668e..2f1287f43 100644
--- a/doc/example.conf.in
+++ b/doc/example.conf.in
@@ -1286,6 +1286,7 @@ remote-control:
 # 	dnstap-identity: ""
 # 	# if "" it uses the package version.
 # 	dnstap-version: ""
+# 	dnstap-wakeup-delay: 1000
 # 	dnstap-log-resolver-query-messages: no
 # 	dnstap-log-resolver-response-messages: no
 # 	dnstap-log-client-query-messages: no
diff --git a/doc/unbound.conf.5.in b/doc/unbound.conf.5.in
index 76cfa2383..8b58db596 100644
--- a/doc/unbound.conf.5.in
+++ b/doc/unbound.conf.5.in
@@ -2797,6 +2797,11 @@ Default is "".
 The version to send with messages, if "" the package version is used.
 Default is "".
 .TP
+.B dnstap-wakeup-delay: \fI<msec>
+Delay before the dnstap message queue worker will handle incoming
+messages. This reduces performance overhead, but increases latency.
+Default is 1000 milliseconds.
+.TP
 .B dnstap-log-resolver-query-messages: \fI<yes or no>
 Enable to log resolver query messages.  Default is no.
 These are messages from Unbound to upstream servers.
diff --git a/util/config_file.c b/util/config_file.c
index 31ae8c808..e2ca7b95e 100644
--- a/util/config_file.c
+++ b/util/config_file.c
@@ -329,6 +329,7 @@ config_create(void)
 		goto error_exit;
 #endif
 	cfg->dnstap_bidirectional = 1;
+	cfg->dnstap_wakeup_delay = 1000;
 	cfg->dnstap_tls = 1;
 	cfg->disable_dnssec_lame_check = 0;
 	cfg->ip_ratelimit_cookie = 0;
@@ -755,6 +756,7 @@ int config_set_option(struct config_file* cfg, const char* opt,
 	else S_YNO("dnstap-send-version:", dnstap_send_version)
 	else S_STR("dnstap-identity:", dnstap_identity)
 	else S_STR("dnstap-version:", dnstap_version)
+	else S_SIZET_OR_ZERO("dnstap-wakeup-delay:", dnstap_wakeup_delay)
 	else S_YNO("dnstap-log-resolver-query-messages:",
 		dnstap_log_resolver_query_messages)
 	else S_YNO("dnstap-log-resolver-response-messages:",
@@ -1226,6 +1228,7 @@ config_get_option(struct config_file* cfg, const char* opt,
 	else O_YNO(opt, "dnstap-send-version", dnstap_send_version)
 	else O_STR(opt, "dnstap-identity", dnstap_identity)
 	else O_STR(opt, "dnstap-version", dnstap_version)
+	else O_UNS(opt, "dnstap-wakeup-delay", dnstap_wakeup_delay)
 	else O_YNO(opt, "dnstap-log-resolver-query-messages",
 		dnstap_log_resolver_query_messages)
 	else O_YNO(opt, "dnstap-log-resolver-response-messages",
diff --git a/util/config_file.h b/util/config_file.h
index ad22b8330..71cb6eb54 100644
--- a/util/config_file.h
+++ b/util/config_file.h
@@ -573,6 +573,8 @@ struct config_file {
 	char* dnstap_identity;
 	/** dnstap "version", package version is used if "". */
 	char* dnstap_version;
+	/** dnstap worker wakeup delay */
+	size_t dnstap_wakeup_delay;
 
 	/** true to log dnstap RESOLVER_QUERY message events */
 	int dnstap_log_resolver_query_messages;
diff --git a/util/configlexer.lex b/util/configlexer.lex
index fdc267434..3add6d48b 100644
--- a/util/configlexer.lex
+++ b/util/configlexer.lex
@@ -494,6 +494,7 @@ dnstap-send-identity{COLON}	{ YDVAR(1, VAR_DNSTAP_SEND_IDENTITY) }
 dnstap-send-version{COLON}	{ YDVAR(1, VAR_DNSTAP_SEND_VERSION) }
 dnstap-identity{COLON}		{ YDVAR(1, VAR_DNSTAP_IDENTITY) }
 dnstap-version{COLON}		{ YDVAR(1, VAR_DNSTAP_VERSION) }
+dnstap-wakeup-delay{COLON}	{ YDVAR(1, VAR_DNSTAP_WAKEUP_DELAY) }
 dnstap-log-resolver-query-messages{COLON}	{
 		YDVAR(1, VAR_DNSTAP_LOG_RESOLVER_QUERY_MESSAGES) }
 dnstap-log-resolver-response-messages{COLON}	{
diff --git a/util/configparser.y b/util/configparser.y
index da5d6608f..c687c99c2 100644
--- a/util/configparser.y
+++ b/util/configparser.y
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ extern struct config_parser_state* cfg_parser;
 %token VAR_DNSTAP_TLS VAR_DNSTAP_TLS_SERVER_NAME VAR_DNSTAP_TLS_CERT_BUNDLE
 %token VAR_DNSTAP_TLS_CLIENT_KEY_FILE VAR_DNSTAP_TLS_CLIENT_CERT_FILE
 %token VAR_DNSTAP_SEND_IDENTITY VAR_DNSTAP_SEND_VERSION VAR_DNSTAP_BIDIRECTIONAL
-%token VAR_DNSTAP_IDENTITY VAR_DNSTAP_VERSION
+%token VAR_DNSTAP_IDENTITY VAR_DNSTAP_VERSION VAR_DNSTAP_WAKEUP_DELAY
 %token VAR_DNSTAP_LOG_RESOLVER_QUERY_MESSAGES
 %token VAR_DNSTAP_LOG_RESOLVER_RESPONSE_MESSAGES
 %token VAR_DNSTAP_LOG_CLIENT_QUERY_MESSAGES
@@ -3354,7 +3354,7 @@ content_dt: dt_dnstap_enable | dt_dnstap_socket_path | dt_dnstap_bidirectional |
 	dt_dnstap_tls_cert_bundle |
 	dt_dnstap_tls_client_key_file | dt_dnstap_tls_client_cert_file |
 	dt_dnstap_send_identity | dt_dnstap_send_version |
-	dt_dnstap_identity | dt_dnstap_version |
+	dt_dnstap_identity | dt_dnstap_version | dt_dnstap_wakeup_delay |
 	dt_dnstap_log_resolver_query_messages |
 	dt_dnstap_log_resolver_response_messages |
 	dt_dnstap_log_client_query_messages |
@@ -3464,6 +3464,15 @@ dt_dnstap_version: VAR_DNSTAP_VERSION STRING_ARG
 		cfg_parser->cfg->dnstap_version = $2;
 	}
 	;
+dt_dnstap_wakeup_delay: VAR_DNSTAP_WAKEUP_DELAY STRING_ARG
+	{
+		OUTYY(("P(dt_dnstap_wakeup_delay:%s)\n", $2));
+		if(atoi($2) == 0 && strcmp($2, "0") != 0)
+			yyerror("number expected");
+		else cfg_parser->cfg->dnstap_wakeup_delay = atoi($2);
+		free($2);
+	}
+	;
 dt_dnstap_log_resolver_query_messages: VAR_DNSTAP_LOG_RESOLVER_QUERY_MESSAGES STRING_ARG
 	{
 		OUTYY(("P(dt_dnstap_log_resolver_query_messages:%s)\n", $2));